--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am back in LA now. And I keep thinking…" description: "\"I am back in LA now. And I keep thinking back to my time in New York after the bombings… I was crying so much I could not see, and the other diners joi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed5/ben-stein-2703_atheistic_i-am-back-in-la-now-and-i-keep-thinking_43614.jpg" --- # I am back in LA now. And I keep thinking back to my time… ![“I am back in LA now. And I keep thinking back to my time in New York after the bombings… I was crying so much I could not see, and the other diners joined in, and I thought, What do you do with such atheistic evil?” quote by Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed5/ben-stein-2703_atheistic_i-am-back-in-la-now-and-i-keep-thinking_43614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed5/ben-stein-2703_atheistic_i-am-back-in-la-now-and-i-keep-thinking_43614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed5/ben-stein-2703_atheistic_i-am-back-in-la-now-and-i-keep-thinking_43614.jpg) > “I am back in LA now. And I keep thinking back to my time in New York after the bombings… I was crying so much I could not see, and the other diners joined in, and I thought, What do you do with such atheistic evil?” [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A reflection on overwhelming grief and helplessness after witnessing tragedy, questioning how to confront senseless evil. **In simple terms:** Grief confronts incomprehensible cruelty. Key Takeaway Crying reveals shared humanity. Themes grief trauma evil humanity catharsis Mood somber reflective sorrowful Type personal reflection philosophical musing When to use this quote - after a disaster - in a public space - during a shared meal Key Concepts emotional response collective mourning moral questioning Practical Applications - therapy or support groups - memorial events Questions to Reflect On - How do we process collective trauma? - What role does shared mourning play in healing? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheistic/) [Bombing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombing/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [If you owe too much on American Express, and your Diner's Club notes are too hard, take a loan on your Visa, and pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nipsey-russell/if-you-owe-too-much-on-american-express-and-your-diner-s-club-notes/) [Nipsey Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nipsey-russell/) > [You asked me if I believed in magic, and I said yes, and that's how. You just step out, start pulling your life out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-barkley/you-asked-me-if-i-believed-in-magic-and-i-said-yes-and-that-s-how-you/) [Brad Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-barkley/) > [In the middle of nowhere, along a quiet stretch of road, the diner dreamt of the hungry dead. And of two men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lee-martinez/in-the-middle-of-nowhere-along-a-quiet-stretch-of-road-the-diner/) [A. Lee Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lee-martinez/) > [Sitting at the table doesn't make you a diner, unless you eat some of what's on that plate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/sitting-at-the-table-doesn-t-make-you-a-diner-unless-you-eat-some-of/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [A restaurant is a fantasy-a kind of living fantasy in which diners are the most important members of the cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warner-leroy/a-restaurant-is-a-fantasy-a-kind-of-living-fantasy-in-which-diners/) Warner LeRoy > [For the most part, Australian diners are familiar with kimchi, Korean fried chicken and even bimbimbap - those deliciously nourishing bowls of rice topped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leong/for-the-most-part-australian-diners-are-familiar-with-kimchi-korean/) [Melissa Leong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leong/) > [ The whole acting and Hollywood \[thing\], it's just work to me. Stand-up comedy ruins you so badly for doing television. I don't really need… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/the-whole-acting-and-hollywood-thing-it-s-just-work-to-me-stand-up/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [You're told that you're in your head too much, a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Or maybe there's another word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/you-re-told-that-you-re-in-your-head-too-much-a-phrase-that-s-often/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [My parents owned a soul food diner. It inspired me to go to culinary school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavor-flav/my-parents-owned-a-soul-food-diner-it-inspired-me-to-go-to-culinary/) [Flavor Flav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavor-flav/) > [After almost exactly three hours, we rolled into a small hole of a town that had one traffic light and a resturant simply marked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/after-almost-exactly-three-hours-we-rolled-into-a-small-hole-of-a/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“This is the Mona Lisa of bad diners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/this-is-the-mona-lisa-of-bad-diners/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [A poet could write volumes about diners, because they're so beautiful. They're brightly lit, with chrome and booths and Naugahyde and great waitresses. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/a-poet-could-write-volumes-about-diners-because-they-re-so-beautiful/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [They say it doesn't get any more Jersey than 24-hour diners. Of course, they say the same thing about women with big hair, hapless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kornacki/they-say-it-doesn-t-get-any-more-jersey-than-24-hour-diners-of-course/) [Steve Kornacki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kornacki/) > [I love the donors and we thank them, but it has to be that the guys in the barber shop, the lady at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-love-the-donors-and-we-thank-them-but-it-has-to-be-that-the-guys-in/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) ## More by Ben Stein > [I think, there are many people who are much smarter than I am, and many, many, many who are much harder-working than I am,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/i-think-there-are-many-people-who-are-much-smarter-than-i-am-and-many/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [Emperor Sid Caesar is gone to eternity himself now. He takes with him the gratitude of every one of us who first learned the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/emperor-sid-caesar-is-gone-to-eternity-himself-now-he-takes-with-him/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [I'm not a Mensa member. I have no idea where that rumor came from. I never have been, and I doubt if I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/i-m-not-a-mensa-member-i-have-no-idea-where-that-rumor-came-from-i/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [The successful people of this world take life as it comes. They just go out and deal with the world as it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/the-successful-people-of-this-world-take-life-as-it-comes-they-just/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [It's really amazing that in the age of unbelief, as a smart man called it, there isn't even more fraud. After all, with no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/it-s-really-amazing-that-in-the-age-of-unbelief-as-a-smart-man-called/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [It is so great to sleep in safe, glorious, beautiful America. I just cannot get over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/it-is-so-great-to-sleep-in-safe-glorious-beautiful-america-i-just/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [The first step in getting what you want from life-decide what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/the-first-step-in-getting-what-you-want-from-life-decide-what-you-want/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [And now, any of those who refuse, or are unable, to prove they are citizens will receive free insurance paid for by those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/and-now-any-of-those-who-refuse-or-are-unable-to-prove-they-are/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [I have to tell you I never in my life anticipated getting this old, this fast. It seems as if I were 25 just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/i-have-to-tell-you-i-never-in-my-life-anticipated-getting-this-old/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [Yes, Americans can still get credit for cars and trucks and refrigerators, and those businesses are doing well. But just try to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/yes-americans-can-still-get-credit-for-cars-and-trucks-and/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [For any exam in history, here is the answer: all human history is the struggle between systems that attempt to shackle the human personality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/for-any-exam-in-history-here-is-the-answer-all-human-history-is-the/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [The ordinary American - as far as I can tell - knows so much less than he did fifty years ago and has such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/the-ordinary-american-as-far-as-i-can-tell-knows-so-much-less-than-he/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [But when I talk to people who are Darwinists or evolutionists and say, 'Well, how did life begin' -- they're...they don't have an answer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/but-when-i-talk-to-people-who-are-darwinists-or-evolutionists-and-say/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/personal-relationships-are-the-fertile-soil-from-which-all/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [I always assumed scientists were free to ask any question, pursue any line of inquiry without fear or reprisal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/i-always-assumed-scientists-were-free-to-ask-any-question-pursue-any/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) [Explore all 153 Ben Stein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) ## More Atheistic quotes > [At home we didnt talk about religion. So gradually the question faded away by itself and disappeared from the agenda. When I was nineteen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-prokofiev/at-home-we-didnt-talk-about-religion-so-gradually-the-question-faded/) [Sergei Prokofiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-prokofiev/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Science is and should be seen as "completely neutral" on the issue of the theistic or atheistic implications of scientific results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/science-is-and-should-be-seen-as-completely-neutral-on-the-issue-of/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [We were convinced that the people need and require this faith. We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/we-were-convinced-that-the-people-need-and-require-this-faith-we-have/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Imagine there's no heaven... it's easy if you try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/imagine-there-s-no-heaven-it-s-easy-if-you-try/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [“We advocate the atheistic philosophy because it is the only clear, consistent position which seems possible to us. As atheists, we simply deny the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-haldeman-julius/we-advocate-the-atheistic-philosophy-because-it-is-the-only-clear/) [E. Haldeman-Julius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-haldeman-julius/) > [Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/religion-has-actually-convinced-people-that-there-s-an-invisible-man/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [I would be killed by an atheistic government which was trying to force me to renounce my God-fearing government. I was convinced that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-denton/i-would-be-killed-by-an-atheistic-government-which-was-trying-to/) [Jeremiah Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-denton/) > [“If you are a pastor there is no way you can lose faith without losing face, you are considered the devil incarnate by your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-are-a-pastor-there-is-no-way-you-can-lose-faith-without-losing/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [I am as sure as I am of the fact of Christ's reign, that a comprehensive and centralised system of national education, separated from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-alexander-hodge/i-am-as-sure-as-i-am-of-the-fact-of-christ-s-reign-that-a/) [Archibald Alexander Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-alexander-hodge/) > [Imperious, choleric, irascible, extreme in everything, with a dissolute imagination the like of which has never been seen, atheistic to the point of fanaticism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/imperious-choleric-irascible-extreme-in-everything-with-a-dissolute/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [Science is only truly consistent with an atheistic worldview with regards to the claimed miracles of the gods of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/science-is-only-truly-consistent-with-an-atheistic-worldview-with/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [y feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/y-feelings-as-a-christian-points-me-to-my-lord-and-savior-as-a/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion go hand in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/fear-is-the-parent-of-cruelty-and-therefore-it-is-no-wonder-if/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 146 Atheistic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheistic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am back in LA now. 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